Hell’s Half Acre

Yesterday Jamie tried to take a ride from where we’re camped (just outside the city) into the mountains. It was a complete and utter disaster; the road was busy, trucks and cars were belching pollution and he actually turned back because the going was so dangerous. We decided to stay One More Day so that he could leave after a wonderful ride. Driving back to Laguna de Sanchez and walking the kids around and then driving back wasn’t an option; we were starting too late in the day (we need about 4 hours for the 80 mile roundtrip), so we found a good looking loop on the map that I could drive him too, take the kids for a hike and wait for him to return. Heading into the mountains, it became more and more foggy; fog turned to mist and then to rain. I thought it might be possible that the deeper we got into the mountains, the weather could change, so on we pressed.

We drove through what seemed like drier country up into more apple orchards but very little
lush grass. We continued to climb and soon the pavement ran out and quaint cobblestone appeared. Cobblestone switchbacks. In the rain. After burning rubber (literally, clouds of burnt rubber smoke appeared) in one particularly bothersome stretch of pothole-ridden cobbles, and honestly these were not cobblestones but simply large rocks making up the road, we stopped in the curve of the switchback and collected ourselves. I was spinning all over the road; not getting traction; the rocks were wet and the road was straight up. Pictures don’t do justice to the steepness of the switchbacks. The rain was getting harder and Jamie wanted to
turn back (honestly, I couldn’t begin to think of going DOWN the slick rockbed switchbacks without becoming a part of the cliffside) but I was sure the crest was just ahead. I was willing to sit on the crest and wait for the storm to pass and the road to dry to descend. Jamie and I walked up the road and found that not only was the crest near, but pavement waited on the other side. He waited at the top (with his cycling clothes and shoes - coming down the cobbles would have been disasterous in those shoes) and I spun the tires and willed the car up the last stretch. It was a ride I wouldn’t want to attempt in rain again. Jamie thought that the road was purposely rocks, as pavement would have been too slippery due to the steep ascent/descent of the road.

From there on it was an easy drive (hell, ANYTHIHG would have been an easy drive after that) and we stopped for local honey and apples. Tart apples. Coming back into town we were amazed to find ourselves in not only a torrential downpour, but HAIL. Hail pounded the car, deafening everyone inside and we slowly, very slowly (due to the quantity of water pouring on the windshield) made our way to the trailer, certain that the open windows were providing a very wet environment.

We were surprised and amazed to find that the trailer was completely and utterly dry. We were further amazed and surprised to find a 5th wheel (sans tow vehicle) sitting next to ours in the trailer park. When the owners come back we’ll have to find out where they’re going/coming from.

When we were in Querétaro, the boys managed to loose a 30ft hose. It was an expensive hose;
we paid 300 pesos for it. We finally came to a meeting of the minds; they took responsibility (shared) and decided on a way to pay us back. I got Pike as my slave for the day (house-elf) and Jamie, Sissy and Ellen got Jesse. Jesse was an absolute AWFUL house elf. By the afternoon, Jamie and I were calling him Kreatcher as he would constantly mutter about us and put work off and do things half-way. Pike, on the other hand, was most Dobby-like. (Kreatcher and Dobby are references to house-elves in the Harry Potter series of books. Yes, Virginia, there are actually people in the world who have NO IDEA who Harry Potter, Dobby and Kreatcher are.) He was so amazingly competent and helpful that I was able to sit on my very large ass all day long and do absolutely anything I wanted to. He did dishes, he cleaned, he picked up, and by dinner he was exhausted. I gave him credit and 1/2 for his work and he is more than 1/2 way towards paying off his debt. Today, Pike is getting very tired of the routine and can’t believe I do this all day, everyday. He cut out early and will find another way to pay back his debt; being Mom is simply Too Much Work.

Jesse cut out very early in his service yesterday; he was simply unable to put himself in the service of another without completely chafing at the bit. He will never make a very good house elf. He has decided to clean the bathroom every other day and do dinner dishes alternate days to pay off his debt. We are hoping this will be more manageable for him. He is rolling in dough this afternoon, however, after finding TWO HUNDERED PESOS (a little over 20 US dollars) by the pool. No-one claimed it, so he is rolling in candy and pesos. Oh, didja know that if you buy teeny tiny tea sets for your kids, you will then be washing said teasets? Oi!